Jean Piaget

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Cognition: How people think & Understand. Piaget developed four stages to his theory of cognitive development: Sensori-Motor Stage Pre-Operational Stage Concrete Operational Stage Formal Operational Stage.

The heart of cognitive development Schemas-plans for knowing/representing the world assimilation-fit world into scheme Accommodation-changing scheme when presented with new info.

Sensori-Motor Stage (0-2 years) Sensory contact understanding. The child explores the world surrounding them using it’s senses Initially sucking/grasping/stepping reflex and moving onto reaching for objects out of reach.

Object permanence……… Major development within this stage. Initially the baby cannot understand an object exists out of sight. As the baby reaches around 7/8 months a child will begin to understand the object/person still exists when out of sight. Leads to????????

Pre-Operational stage(2-7yrs old) Toddler can understand the use of symbols and language. This is an example of symbolic thinking. I.E pretend play. Language is now understood Starts w/ “telegraphic speech”

Development of…….. Animism…child understands ‘bad table’, believes inanimate objects have feelings as they do. Egocentricism…Can only see the world from their own point of view All these developments take place in the Pre- Operational Stage.

(Example of object permanence)

"Operation" - Forms of mental action through which older children solve problems and reason logically Key feature of stage is extensive representation Pre-op kids develop “theory of mind” (understanding of mental processes) Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years)

Limits of preoperational stage Still very egocentric –Mountain task

Concrete Operational Stage (7- 11 years) The children are now able to conserve, They understand that although the appearance has changed the thing it self does not.

= What is CONSERVATION? “the awareness that a quantity remains the same despite a change in its appearance”

Formal Operational Stage ( years ) Most of previous characteristics discussed have now developed. The child shows logical thinking and is able to work through abstract problems and use logic without the presence of concrete manipulation. E.g. If Kelly is taller than John and John is taller than Pete who is the tallest? This is an example of inferential reasoning.

Summary of Piaget: Criticisms Underestimated the importance of knowledge Gagne: Complex skills can be acquired easily once simpler prerequisite skills have been learned. Development is based on LEARNING new skills - continuous not discontinuous. Underestimated the impact of CULTURE: Piaget’s tasks are culturally biased Schooling and literacy affect rates of development

Summary of Piaget: Criticisms Demand characteristics:- the children may have wanted to please the experimenter therefore changing their responses. Social setting:-Piaget ignored the effect of the social setting upon the child.The way adults use language and gestures. “more?” means what?

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